Tigerair Taiwan urged to pay back staff after pregnancy discrimination ruling

Taipei, May 29 (CNA) A labor union on Friday urged Tigerair Taiwan to pay the back salaries of about 20 employees who were forced to take unpaid leave when pregnant, following a local government ruling that deemed the practice illegal.

The Taoyuan Flight Attendants Union (TFAU) is considering suing Tigerair Taiwan if the airline fails to pay the back salaries, Chou Sheng-kai (周聖凱), secretary-general of the union, told CNA in a telephone interview.

Taoyuan City Government's Office of Gender Equality ruled on Thursday that Tigerair Taiwan's internal work regulations -- which require flight attendants to take unpaid leave when pregnant -- violated the Gender Equality in Employment Act, Chou said.

The ruling was issued in response to a complaint filed by several flight attendants in June last year with assistance from the TFAU, Chou added.

He stated that, based on cases reported to the union, the Taiwanese budget carrier forced approximately 20 flight attendants to take unpaid leave during pregnancy over the past five years.

According to Chou, the Office of Gender Equality noted in its ruling that the airline faces a fine ranging from NT$300,000 (US$9,552) to NT$1.5 million, with the final penalty expected to be announced in early June.

Earlier this year, the airline was penalized for denying pay raises to employees who took unpaid paternity or maternity leave, which also violated the Gender Equality in Employment Act. Related fines totaled NT$640,000, Chou said.

While most airlines typically support pregnant flight attendants by temporarily reassigning them to ground duties, Tigerair Taiwan has historically failed to offer these alternative assignments, according to Chou.

In response, Tigerair Taiwan said that it values gender equality and the protection of employee rights and is committed to providing a friendly, equal and respectful workplace.

The airline added that it will carefully address public concerns regarding gender equality, maintain open communication with employees, and conduct in-depth reviews of its relevant policies and their implementation.